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Thursday, 27 November 2008

A model patient too it seems. The obstetricians at the clinic are all so impressed with me.

I complain about being short of breath - normal. A little swelling in my hands (had to take off my wedding ring this week) - normal. Ridiculous stretch marks - sadly normal for some.

But because the babies seem to be growing well and both are pretty relaxed in there and I have passed all tests with flying colours (except the glucose screening test but I subsequently passed the diagnostic one - lots of false positives I think), everyone is very happy with me.

I have an in-training midwife who attends all my appointments with me. I think she secretly wishes that a complication will arise so she can write about it in her case study report, but alas it all seems good. Even my blood pressure has been really good (which even surprises me given all that is happening at our place!).

It feels good to be nearing the 34 week mark - this is the magic number where the survival rates are as good as full-term for twins and there are fewer complications overall (so the doctors tell me). Personally I am still hoping to get to 38 weeks. Apart from the fact that I will need a crane to get around by then, I think it will give the whole family the best chance of getting through this crazy experience.

I just hope they can breast feed and we can all leave the hospital together. You hear so many horror stories...

According to my American online "twin diary", this is where things are at:

During this month, your twins each gain an additional sixteen to twenty ounces to weigh about four pounds each, and have a length of about sixteen inches by the end of the thirty-second week. The twins’ skin has become smooth and pink, even babies of dark-skinned races, since the color changes only develop after exposure to sunlight. Their bones are now fully developed, but are soft and flexible since the storage of both calcium and iron occurs during the last eight weeks before birth.

I finished work on November 13 - exactly 31 weeks. Well, I am still working Mondays until December 8th, but I am mostly finished now.

I had a terrible last week in the office because poor ol' Doo Dah had some teeth troubles and neither Geege nor I got much sleep that week. It was weird to be finishing work. Not only because I hadn't been there that long (just over a year) but also because I am taking 2 years off. I will really miss it!

I had a nice send off with an afternoon tea with the Gosford team and lunch with the RNSH team. It will be interesting to see how I go this maternity leave - I don't have my Masters to distract me this time so I could go a little stir crazy. No doubt I will find something to keep my mind occupied (besides children!).

Both Doo Dah and Nugget seem to be coping okay with the upcoming news of babies. Nugget kisses my belly "good night" and asks me if the twins can speak (certainly not as much as he does!) He is becoming so much more independent (even toilet trained since September) and I think we will be a good team during the day to get through all that needs doing. I do worry that I won't have enough time for everyone at this critical time in their lives, but somehow we will find a way. I promise they will always feel the love.

Doo Dah isn't quite as comfortable with it all but is bonding well with his Dad - Geege feels a little suffocated at times with all the requests for "Daddy cuddles" but I think it is good that he will find comfort when things are overwhelming for him. I think he will find it the hardest to adjust but he and Nugget are a pretty good team these days (and that will only get better once Doo Dah's imagination catches up with Nugget's - a tall order!).

I feel both lucky and cursed with all that is coming. It will be a testing time for everyone but I think we have the goods to survive and create a loving family haven for all. Fingers crossed.

Monday, 17 November 2008

We have all been preparing for this day for a long time (she has been in a nursing home for about 5 years now) but it doesn't make it any easier when it happens.The boys and I spent the morning of 14th with her. Nugget was freaked out by her oxygen mask but managed to overcome his fear and come into her room. She smiled hearing them playing with their cousin Millie. Bina came back from overseas to be at the funeral, which was wonderful. It has been a hard time for the family, but they have all pulled together well and the funeral service was lovely, a real credit to them all.

Geege seems to be coping pretty well - I know how much he loved his Nan and he is such an emotional man. He cried a lot at the funeral and I think that did him the world of good. The boys stayed with Sister B so he was free to do what was needed. I just hope the two M's manage okay. Nugget's innocent take on things made me smile. On the morning of the funeral when we dropped him at Sister B's we told him we were going to say goodbye to Nan-nan. He said simply "She was sick and then she died".

In and amongst all of that, my teeth have been playing up. I had one wisdom tooth out about 4 weeks ago, but the real problem tooth (the one directly in front of the right bottom wisdom tooth) seems to have been slowly rotting away from the root - caused by the partially erupted wisdom tooth causing a huge cavity in the root of the tooth. I got myself into such a state of pain (with only Panadol to assist - completely inadequate) that I have ended up having both the problem tooth and the final wisdom tooth taken out on the night of Nan's funeral. I feel very "gappy" but it isn't really all that noticable to the naked eye, just a total bummer! I have lost 9 teeth altogether now (thanks to the joys of braces and wisdom teeth) so officially have fewer teeth than my nearly 2 year old son!